Alison Sweeney On the Accident That Changed Her — And How She Found Her Strength Again

The whole sleep-when-you're-dead thing? I'm over that." Coming from Ali Sweeney, who's usually described as firing on all cylinders all the time, this statement feels like a call to arms for any busy woman (yeah, you) to make a pit stop. Or maybe it's a call to the couch, which is where our crew discovered Ali resting with her legs up at the home where this photo shoot took place. A wipeout while skiing left the actress with a busted knee, on which she had surgery in February, and no choice but to move slowly, do less, and nap (doctor's orders). "Before, I was always going, as though if I took a break I would never get up again," she says. "My doctor saying, 'No, you have to do this' gave me permission to rest. I can't say I ever came to enjoy it," she clarifies with a self-aware chuckle, "but I learned to appreciate it. If you can train yourself to take 20-minute catnaps, you'll wake up really alert."

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Of course Ali, 41, would see downtime as a way to hack her energy level: The novelist and mom (she has two children, Ben, 12, and Megan, 8, with husband Dave Sanov, a California Highway Patrol officer) enjoys having a full plate. She is ramping up the number of movies she will executive-produce and star in for the Hallmark Channel (her movie franchise Murder, She Baked already has five entries), and she will be back on Days of Our Lives as fan favorite Sami for a limited run later this year. It's also a given that the Fitnessfitness columnist and former host of The Biggest Loser recognizes the ways her journey back to health can help other women reach their body goals. What she knows about getting physically and mentally stronger is stuff we all need to hear. Listen in....

On the silver lining of tearing her ACL: "At first it was hard for me to even get out of bed — which was good in one way, because I realized how many things I just do for my kids so we can all move on with our lives. I'm sure a lot of moms relate to Oh, it's just easier if I get the orange juice. The first morning they brought mebreakfast in bed, I was so proud. I thought, They really can do this stuff.Maybe I'm not giving them enough responsibility!"

On teaching equality in her household: "The most crucial thing is role-modeling equality in the house. My career is just as important as my husband's, and we celebrate each other. We take turns being the disciplinarian. We are also really respectful of our kids: My daughter, just as much as my son, knows that she has a voice and it is okay to speak up and be heard."

On explaining negative news about law enforcement and the judicial system to her kids: "My husband is a cop, so my kids really respect them, but I understand that for some people there are extenuating circumstances and they don't [trust the police]. Of the men and women who commit to being officers, the much larger percentage of them are honorable, brave people, and we should be appreciative that they are willing to risk their lives for us on a daily basis. However, as in every profession, there are going to be people who aren't good at their jobs, don't try hard, or are bad guys who got into it for the wrong reasons. The news emphasizes those stories. I want my kids to know that it is their responsibility to understand any situation they are dealing with comprehensively and not just listen to one side."

For more from Ali, pick up the June issue of Redbook on newsstands May 23.